Public Act 0928 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2907 Enrolled LRB103 37233 SPS 67352 b

Public Act 103-0928

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Job Training and Workforce Development Transparency Act.

Section 5. Findings; legislative intent.

(a) The General Assembly finds that the State of Illinois and the federal government allocate millions of dollars annually to various job training and workforce development programs to enhance the skills and employability of residents of the State.

(b) The General Assembly further finds that the effective utilization of public funds requires a transparent and accountable system to track the outcomes and impacts of State and federally funded job training programs.

(c) It has come to the attention of the General Assembly that there are currently programs receiving substantial State funding that lack a systematic and comprehensive tracking mechanism for assessing their success and impact on the targeted populations.

(d) The lack of standardized reporting on the allocation and effectiveness of these funds raises concerns regarding the State's ability to measure the return on investment, ensure equity in program access, and make informed decisions on resource allocation for future initiatives.

(e) The intent of this Act is to require the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, in collaboration with affected State agencies, to compile a detailed report within 18 months after the effective date of this Act, providing a comprehensive overview of all State-funded job training and workforce development programs in Illinois.

(f) It is the intent of the General Assembly to ensure that Illinois residents receive maximum benefit from State and federally funded programs and that the State is able to make informed policy decisions based on a thorough understanding of the impact of these initiatives.

(g) It is the further intent of the General Assembly that the reporting requirements established by this Act serve as a mechanism to identify successful programs, areas for improvement, and potential areas of duplication or overlap in order to optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of State and federally funded job training and workforce development efforts.

Section 10. Reporting requirements.

(a) Within 18 months after the effective date of this Act, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, in coordination with relevant State agencies, shall compile a report concerning all State and federally funded job training and workforce development programs in this State. If practicable, the report shall also include trade apprenticeship programs, healthcare-related training programs offered by healthcare providers, manufacturing training, and job training and workforce development programs funded solely by units of local government.

(b) The report shall identify each State and federally funded job training and workforce development program in this State and, if practicable, trade apprenticeship programs, healthcare-related training programs offered by healthcare providers, manufacturing training, and job training and workforce development programs funded solely by units of local government. The report shall also provide, at a minimum, the following information about each program:

(1) the name of the State agency that appropriated the funding for the program;

(2) the source of the funding for the program; and

(3) the name and location of the organizations that received funding under the program in the calendar year preceding the report date.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision in this Act, the report outlined in Section 10 may not include employer-sponsored training programs.

Section 15. Coordination with State agencies. Relevant State agencies shall collaborate with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to ensure the timely and accurate collection of information required for the report described in Section 10.

Section 20. Publication and accessibility. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall submit the report described in Section 10 to the General Assembly and the Governor and make the report accessible to the public on the Department's website no later than 18 months after the effective date of this Act.

Section 25. Department contracts. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may contract with the statewide Illinois Longitudinal Data System (ILDS) to carry out the provisions of this Act.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.